Saturday, March 21, 2009

Pantoja Park

Pantoja Park is the city's oldest park and smack in the middle of downtown, next to condos and high rises. The park is named after Don Juan Pantoja y Arriola, a pilot who drew the first map of San Diego Bay in 1782. The above statue is not of Pantoja, but of Benito Juárez, a Zapotec Indian who served two terms as President of Mexico. Several cities and towns in Mexico are named after Juárez and today is his birthday which is celebrated in Mexico as President's Day.

5 Comments:

Hi Expat, Pantoja Park is on G Street & Columbia, a few blocks west of Horton Plaza. This park has less trees and more of an open grassy area, therefore less "cover" for sleeping homeless people. Click here or here for Children's Park, which is near First & Island.

I believe this was one of the first residential developments downtown back in 1991(?). I remember playing soccer in that park and thinking the people living there must be brave to live downtown. Now it seems strange to see these little 3-story townhomes surrounded by 30-story condo towers!